Elizabeth Holmes found guilty of defrauding Theranos investors

A jury in federal court on Monday found that Elizabeth Holmes had deliberately misled investors in Theranos, the company she started to revolutionize blood testing. The verdict follows a closely watched trial that stretched over almost four months.

Admirers often compared Holmes to Steve Jobs while she helmed Theranos, and the company she founded and ran was worth billions. She will soon face sentencing after being convicted of three counts of wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. A masked Holmes showed no visible reaction as the verdict was read, according to reporters in the courtroom, which NPR described as "eerily quiet."

Holmes originally faced 12 total charges of conspiracy and fraud. But the jury in US District Judge Edward Davila's court room in San Jose, California, found her not guilty on four charges involving fraud committed against paying Theranos patients. The jury was unable to reach a verdict on three additional charges and another charge was thrown out earlier in the trial.

The verdict was announced after jurors earlier Monday informed the court they were deadlocked on three of the 11 counts facing Holmes. After consulting with attorneys for both sides, Davila instructed jurors to return to deliberations on the undecided counts. A few hours later, no progress had been made and the jury returned a finding of "no verdict" on three additional counts of wire fraud involving investors. 

Each guilty verdict carries with it a maximum sentence of 20 years for a total of up to 80 years if "stacked" on top of each other, but legal experts say it would be unusual for that to happen in a fraud case.